Apparatus for separating oil from oil-bearing sands and rocks



Patented Nov. 29, 1923.

WILLIAM J'. REILLY, OF DENVER. COLORADO.

APPARATUS FOR SE'PARATING OIL FROM OIL-BEARING- SANI'DS AND ROCKS.

Application led February 17, 1922. Serial No. 537,200.

y To ZZ whom, t may cof/zoem:

Be it known that I, W'iLLrAM J. REILLY 'a "citizen of the United States, residing atthe city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certainnew and use ful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Oil 'from Oil-Bearing Sands and Rocks;`

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art-to which it apperta'ins to make and use y the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of ,reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an appa1-atusfor the separation of the oil from oil-bearing rocks and sand while distilling off the lighter constituents of the oil.

Petroleum oils are known to exist in various places and in different materials,

duce an apparatus by Ywhich the oil may be efectively and cheaply separated from the oil sands or rock. and while such separation is going on, to distill off the lighter constituents of the oil.

This apparatus operates on substantiallyi the same principle as that described and claimed in mv copending application, Serial Number 537,199. filed February 17, 1922.

In order to more clearly describe my invention, I shall have reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of my apparatus. with parts thereof shown in section; n

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, F ig. 1.

The same reference characters will be used to indicate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Numeral 1 represents a cylindrical member, which I shall refer to hereinafter as the stilL Member 1 has a conical lower end portion 2 and an upper end 3 which is preferably spherical in shape. The ends of cylindrical member l are each provided with an outwardly projecting flange 4 which may be formed from an angle iron. The ends 2 and 3 are riveted to these flanges, proper gaskets being provided if'they are foundv to be essential. To the upper end 3 there is attached a safety valve 5 and a vapor conductor pipe 6 which is provided with a valve 7; this pipe leads to a condenser, not shown. Within the still I provide a framework having vertical support'- ing elements 8, to'which brackets 9 are secured and suitably spaced apart. A bearing l0 is located centrally of the cylinder and held in place by bars 11 which connect with supporting elements 8. Resting on the lower-most of the brackets 9 is a bearing 12, which is provided on its upper surface with a ball raceway 13, and at its center with a bushing 14. Rotatably mounted in bearing 10 and bushing 14 is a shaft 15 which carries intermediate the two bearings a worm gear 16 which is driven from a worm 17- carried by shaft 18. To the upper end of shaft 15 I secure a grinding element -19 whose lower side has a raceway 20 which cooperates with the raceway 13 to hold in place a plurality of balls upon which the grinding element rotates. Located above the grinding element 19 and cooperating therewith is a second'v grinding element 21 which is secured by means of adjustable bolts 22 to the uppermost set of brackets 9. Grinding element 21 is provided centrally thereof with an opening 22 to which is secured a short length of pipe 23. Secured to the cover 3 and having its lower end telescopically connected to the upper end of pipe 23 is a second pipe 24, which extends some distance above the cover 3 and is provided with valves 25 and 26. To the top of pipe 24 is attached a hopper 27 which is adapted to receive the material which is to be fed to the still. The still is designed to be operated under pressure and in order to feed material .thereinto without permitting the vapors or gases. to escape. the `tower valve 25 is closed, after which the upper valve 26 is opened: this permits the oil-bearing material to flow down from hopper 27 and ll the space between the two valves. Valve v26 is then closed and oil is-transferred from the still through pipe 28 bymeans of a through the' oil. to the bottom of the still-,.

pump or injector 29. The oil which Hows' through pipes 24 and 23 and enters. the

space between the grinding elements 19 and 21, the former of which rotates. The mate?h rial which passes through the grinding 4meanshas its larger particles broken up,

and as they leave the grinders they fall from which they flow into one of a plurality of separator tanks which I will now describe.

Secured tothe bottom 2 aretwo. or more pipes 31, each provided intermediate its ends with a valve 32. `The lower end of p1pes 31 eachconnect with the upper end 33 of separator tank 30, which is filled to the point indicated by line'34 with hot water. The lower end 35 of the separators 34 is conical and hasattached thereto a pipe 36 which is provided with a valve 37 for'the purpose of cleaning the tanks. AEach tank is also provided at its'top with a pet cock or valve .38,

by means of which 'air may be admitted when the tank is zbeing drained and cleaned. In operation, onel of the valves 32 is `closed and the other is open. The .material that comes from the grinders and falls on the bottom 24 will pass through the open valve 32 andinto the hot water of the separator, where the oil will be removed therefrom in a manner similar to that .by which the fat is separated from meat by boiling water. When the separator is full valve 32 is closed,

and the corresponding valve of anothery separator opened. The full Vseparator is then emptied through valve 37.

Near the bottom of each separator there is a pipe 39 provided with a valve 40 for the purpose of supplying Water thereto. lVithin the still and below the grinding mecha nism which I have described above, there is a heat coil 41 through which steam or other heated -gases or fluids Vare passed for the purpose of heatingl the oil and causing a circulation thereof. The upper end of coil 41 is provided with an automatic excess and non-return valve 42, and the 'lower end with an automatic check valve 43, by means of whichthe fluid is automatically prevented from entering the still in the event of a failure of the coil 41. a and opening substantially centrally thereof is a steam ipe 44 which is provided with a valve 45. llhe oil within the still is maintained at the level indicated by line'46. In order to enable a workman to enter the still for the purpose of cleaning or repairing the same, I provide two manholes 47. A pipe 48 provided with a valve 49 is provided' near` the bottom of the still for the removing the excess oil.

The-operation of my still and separator purpose of Below the coil 41- is as follows: Material is fed from' hopper 27 into the still, in the manner above explained. The still is first filled to the level indicated by line 46 and steam under pressure admitted to coil 41, thereby raising -the oil to the desired temperature and pressure.

The grindingelement 19 is rotated by' the means described, and the material is crushed and ground and at'the same-time thoroughly l' mixed with hot oil, 'after which it leavesthe grinders and. drops through thel hot oil to the bottom v2tiro1fn which it continues through 'a pipe 31 into one of the separa-tors 30, and here it becomes immersed in the hot water which separates the oil from the solid particles, as the particles which enter the oil are usually of a temperature much higher than that required to boil the water, at the pressure under which the still works,

.steam will be generated and this will pas's upwardly into the still-where it will assist in the liberation'of the light oilvapors of distillation and produce a more desirable` condensate. The heat imparted tothe oil in the still will cause the lighter oils of the gasoline'series to vaporize, and these vapors will pass through pipe 6 into a suitable condenser. It I desire to do' so, I may l employ such temperatures and pressures as -to brlng about thedistilling ofi` fof* thehydrocarbon series that are lower than the.

gasoline series to produce oils of the gasoline series, this practice being referred to by the oil refining ,trade as fcracking. When gasoline is obtained by simple distillation or from the vapors of the lower series by cracking, I may addto the charge of oila suitable amount of barium chloride,- anhydrous aluminum chloride, or other catalyzing agent which experience has shown hastens the reaction.

From the above it will appear that I have designeda simple and convenient apparatus by means of which the oil carried by oil sands or oil-bearing rocks may be separated from the solidmatter,4 and .at the same time the oil will be subjected to' a distilling process by means of which the lighter'oils are removed therefrom. As my apparatus can be operated at any desired degree of temperatureand pressure, it may also be employed for the distilling off of the vapors of a lower hydrocarbon series known as .cracking. -V

Having now described my invention or discovery, what I claim is 1. An apparatus for separat-ing oil from oil-bearing rock, comprising in combination, a vertically arranged' substantially cylindrical still member adapted to contain oil, a supporting framework.l within said still, a pair of bearings supported by said framework, a shaft rotatable in said bearings, means for rotating said shaft, a grind ing element .non-rotatably Secured to the upperend of said7 shaft, a second grinding element rigidly secured to'said framework, means for introducing the oil-bearing rock to said still and between said grinding ele,- ments, anda heating coil located within said still below said rinder. 2. An apparatus or separating oil from oil-bearing rock, comprising in combination, a vertically arranged substantially cylindrical still member adapted to contain oil, a supporting framework within said still, a pair of bearings supported by said framework, a shaft rotatablein said bearings, means for rotatin said shaft, a grinding element nonrotatably secured to the upper end of said shaft a second grinding element rigidly secured to said framework, means for introducing the oil-bearing rock to said still and between said grinding elements, a 4heatin coil located within said still and below sai inder, a steam pipe opening into the still Elow said heating coil, a lurality of separater tanks connected to said still, and valve melans between each of said tanks and said sti l. s'

3. An apparatus for separating oil from oil bearing rock, coneirising in combination a vertically arrang substantially cylindrical still member adapted to contain oil, ad supporting framework within said still, a pair of bearings supported by said framework, a shaft rotatable in .said bearings, means for` rotating said shaft, comprising a worm gear secured thereto, `a grinding element non-rotatably secured to the upper end of said shaft a second (grinding element rigidly secured to sai framework, means for introducing the oil bearing rock to said still and between said grinding elements, means for contacting said material with heated oil before it enters;the grinder, and a heating coil located within said still, said coil having its axis vertical.

4. An apparatus for separating oil from Y ture.

oil bearin rock, com rising combination. y arrange substantially cylin-v with heated oil before it enters the grindext,

a heating coil located within said still, sai coil having its axis vertical, and a steam pipe opening into the still below said heating coil.

5. An apparatus for separating oil from` oil bearin rock, com rising in combination a vertica y arrang substantially cylindrical still member adapted to contain oil,

a supporting framework within said still, a pair of bearings supported by said framework, a shaft g rotatable `in said bearings, means for rotatin said shaft, comprising a worm gear secure thereto, a. grinding element non-'rotatably secured to the upper end of said shaft a second grinding element rigidly secured to said framework, means for introducing the oil bearin rock to said still and between said grin lng elements, means for contacting said material with heated oil before it enters the grinder, a

heating coil located within said still, said,

coil having its axis vertical, a steam pipe opening into the still below said heating coil, a pluralit of separator tanks eennected to said still, and valve meansv between each of said tanks and said still. Y x

In testimony whereof I ailix mysignawILLiAM J. nREILLY.

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